Eggs for under 12 months?

[Uniquey]

My goodness, no wonder Mums get so confused as to what's what. In the space of 5 years, I've been told solids at 6 months and now solids at 4 months. :p To my way of thinking, it does make sense not to withold/delay foods for fear of causing allergies as then the baby doesn't get any exposure to them and could make them hypersensitive to them. (of course if this is without a family history of allergies etc).

My question is, could you please tell me what the latest recommendation is for eggs given at under 12 months? Egg yolks, whites or whole eggs? I'm unsure. Thanks in advance.

[KarenInge]

HI Uniquey yes you are right . There is confusion out there in 'baby feeding land' especially regarding the introduction of highly allergenic foods like eggs. The Australasian Society of Clinincal Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) concludes that there is no convincing evidence that avoidance or delayed introduction of potentially allergenic foods such as eggs reduces allergies either in infants considered at increased risk for the development of allergy or in those not considered to be at increased risk.The previous recommendation was to avoid eggs until a babay was 12 months of age The Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents include the suggestion that egg yolk be introduced from 8 months of age. This is a suggestion only with research showing egg yolk can be well tolerated by infants from 6 months of age. There are no specific guidelines for egg white however it is generally recommended from 9 -12 months of age. I would suggest that the eggs be cooked.
Hope this helps Karen

[Uniquey]

Thanks very much Karen, I appreciate your informative reply. :)